Variety (Dec 1944)

Wedn«!Bd>y. Decemhw If, S9 TALK LISTKN: to what is happening to the BLUE on Sunday night We pointed out a few Tveeks ago that while Kate Smith aod Jack Benny were floating through the ether on a raft of pro- motional dollars, each determined to corner the 7 P. M. Sunday night audience, our man Drew Pearson (without promotion) was doing very well in the slot opposite both of them. Well, for your information, our man Pearson is still doing well. He and Benny now share an overwhelming chunk of the 7-7:15 Sunday night audience. Now conies another demonstration of the Blue's capacity to deliveri The Hall of Fame (in the hour preceding Kate Smith) in Hooper's last published report has the same rating that Kate has. Blue's 6-7 P. M. slot comes up with 7.5. Kate Smith, in the CBS slot from 7'8. also comes out with 7.5. A lot of other interesting things are happening on Sunday night: for example, keep an eye on Bill Bendix. He came on a few months ago in a comedy strip called "The Life of Riley." Came on opposite a couple of long-established au- dience getters. But little by little "Riliey" is climbing. Then take Joe E. Brown "Stop or Go." That, too, is makwg heat/way fast, in spite of powerful opposition. All this proves once again how little real difference there Is between the three major networks. Yet one of the most important differences, of course, is the cost. The price tag on the Blue, for a nighttime half-hour, amounts to $3,474.00 less than the cost of the same time on CBS. That comes to a lot over a 52-week period. Figure it out. Then figure all the things you could do with the differ- tnce to help ^ell more goods when the keen competitive era comes. ; That is something else for the Blue to talk about. again and again LISTKN: to what's happened to the major networlcs in the daytime' Just to get a line on trends, we went back and picked lip Mr. Hooper's reports covering the last ten months. We com- pared them with reports covering the same periods in 1943. What this quick little test shows, you will be interested to. know, is that the Blue is the only one of the three major net- works whose daytime ratings are on the up-grade. Looking at all programs, sustaining and commercial, from Jl A. M. to 6 P. M. Blue's ratings are up 16% NBG's ratings are down 4% CBS's ratings are down 7%. Now: that morning lead that the Blue has had all this timet it isn't shrinking, it is lengthening. The Blue is getthig stronger in the morning—and it's the only one of the three that can make this statement. Blue's morning ratings are //^ iO% NBC's morning ratings are dotm 14% ' CBS's morning ratings are down 8%. : These figures indicate a trend—they are a potent hint to the wise timebuyer, a gentle nudge to the thoughtful advertiser Now'about thie nighttime situation: Frankly our ccmpeti* tors could say we were not able to tell a glowing story—and that's true but, little by little, we are getting our foot In the door after the sun goes down. We've got some pretty good ratings—and a lot that are improving. Y.es, there's a lot of work yet to do. That's why we are working overtime with our advertisers and their agencies to get their help in Jm« proving programs, in bringing new Ideas to nighttime oia the Blue. We have a lot of hope for our future, and figures like those above pto\e that t/ie job can be done. After all, not so very long ago we were faced with the same daytime problem we now have at night. We licked it by working on it. We licked it by getting the cooperation of everyone concerned; They all pitched in—and_now look/So keep an eye on the Blue at night. *With a ibbughi to the night. separates the 3 great Networks... SO O